In 2023, we will assess the available choices of bread to determine what is the healthiest option according to this Registered Dietitian.
We’ll be doing a nutrient analysis of each and then make a determination for which should be the foundation of your lunch.
Tip: These will be important factors you can consider when selecting which bread to eat regardless of your location!
Bread is not your foe.
As one of the oldest processed foods, bread has been a dietary staple throughout the history of our world.
However, in recent years, it has gained a reputation for sabotaging diets and being identified as the cause of weight increase.
Similar to nearly all other food options, this mostly depends on the variety and quantity that is consumed.
When choosing “healthy bread,” there are several factors that need to be taken into consideration regarding Subway’s current bread selection.
As a Registered Dietitian, I will examine these things to determine the nutritional value of bread. However, let’s first grasp the significance of each one.
Serving Size
The quantity that you consume of anything is the number one most crucial aspect to bear in mind.
When it comes to bread, we should rephrase the question a bit to ask “how many carbohydrate servings does it contain?”.
A carb serving is the amount of food that contains about 15g of carbohydrates. This is lingo from the Diabetic Exchange List.
Throughout the day, balance and regularity are instructed by utilizing the Diabetic Exchange List as a resource for shedding pounds. I also find value in utilizing the Diabetic Exchange List, as it aids individuals with diabetes in effectively monitoring their carbohydrate portions.
We should strive to have no more than 3-5 carbohydrate portions per meal.
If we begin to think about carbohydrates in terms of their sense of intake control, it may be much easier. Carbohydrates are one of the easiest things to overeat, resulting in weight gain.
A 6″ sandwich typically consists of around 2 ½ carbohydrate servings (varying based on the bread variety chosen, although this is a reasonable approximation).
Therefore this article will be discussing bread from Subway in their 6″ form, as that is the serving size I would recommend.
For instance, if you order a side of fries and a soft drink, I prefer this portion size because it is probable that you will consume extra carbohydrates with your meal.
If you are a customer ordering a foot-long hoagie, I recommend sticking with the 6″ size. However, please note that all the numbers you see here are doubling.
Calories
Perhaps the most well-liked “nutrition truth” that individuals examine.
These are the calories that are converted into fat, we don’t want excess calories that are consumed. Calories are what provide us with energy, calories are not bad.
When considering the calorie content, you may need to double or even triple the amount you eat, depending on how much you are looking to consume. This brings me back to the previous point of why serving size matters so much.
Choosing the 6″ subs will assist you in maintaining a healthy calorie intake at Subway.
Of course the sandwich you build on top of that bread will also largely contribute to your total calorie count for lunch.
Total Fat
On the Nutrition Facts Label, “Total Fat” gives the complete amount of grams of fat per serving of that food.
The varieties of fat, including saturated, trans, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated, might also be revealed to you in more detail based on the nutritional information on the product packaging.
You can consider these in the order mentioned above, ranging from least favorable to most favorable. When it comes to monounsaturated fats, it is important to restrict the intake of saturated fats and simultaneously increase our consumption of healthy fats.
In any case, let’s start by looking at the healthiest options, which are neither total fat nor trans and saturated fat. The Subway nutrition database only breaks down their total fat into these categories.
Cholesterol
Nonetheless, the cholesterol class will not disrupt the standard nutrition facts label. There exist both beneficial and harmful variations of cholesterol, akin to fat. Cholesterol bears resemblance to fat.
Bread generally does not contain cholesterol unless it is enriched with ingredients like cheese.
Sodium
Sodium, also known as salt, is essential in bread as it functions as a yeast inhibitor.
Relentlessly, yeast consumes sugar and starches in bread. This expansion is regulated by salt. All bread products containing yeast necessitate a proper combination of salt, sugar, and yeast.
So you can’t totally escape from salt in bread, that is unless you are eating an unleavened bread (product made without yeast).
Now, remember that a pinch of salt may be sprinkled on top of the bread to enhance its mouthwatering taste.
Always be mindful of your sodium intake: excessive intake of sodium can cause your body to retain more water, resulting in increased weight.
Fiber
However, sadly, fiber is frequently overlooked, yet it remains one of the crucial elements that must be taken into account while buying or consuming bread.
There are two categories of fiber, soluble and insoluble, both of which are vital for maintaining a well-balanced and healthy diet.
Water-absorbing and gelatinous, soluble fiber, such as oatmeal, is a substance that swells up and forms a gel-like mass upon digestion.
Insoluble fiber, in contrast to soluble fiber, assists in the removal of waste from the gastrointestinal system by providing bulk but it does not attract water.
One illustration of indissoluble fiber could be the peel on an apple.
Generally, food comprises a blend of both soluble and insoluble fiber, although it often shows a greater inclination towards one categorization over the other.
Fiber is important as it can help you lose weight, improve GI function, lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, and keep you feeling longer and fuller.
Bread can serve as a fantastic provider of dietary fiber…Provided that you are selecting the appropriate types.
The pale loaves are included in the list, lacking in fiber, followed by your wholemeal loaves, and then closely behind, your most nutritious bread will be any bread that is 100% made from whole grains.
The final result possesses a sleek consistency and gentle flavor, resulting in the exclusion of almost all dietary fiber (namely, the bran and germ on the wheat kernel) and leaving only the endosperm, thereby causing white bread to lack nutritional value.
White loaves of bread offer minimal to zero nutrients, only calories.
Your objective is to lose weight, particularly if you opt for the “brown” varieties of bread. It is always preferable to select the “brown” breads, as we aim for our food to contain more nutrients and fewer calories.
Sugar
In order for bread to rise and grow, it is necessary to have yeast, which requires sugar, as mentioned above.
And similar to salt, only a small amount is required for this reaction to occur.
If the bread you’re consuming has a lot of “added sugars” it’s likely a specialty bread like cinnamon swirl or blueberry bread.
Protein
Gluten, referred to as the protein present in bread, actually originates from the wheat kernel (you know, that thing everyone asserts to have an allergy to).
Although gluten is considered an incomplete protein due to the missing essential amino acid lysine, it is still a good source of protein.
It’s always pleasant to incorporate some additional protein into your sandwich before you’ve even included any meat to it.
Subway Breads as of 2023
Keep in mind that only some participating locations offer these breads. According to Subway’s nutrition database, this list contains all the breads available as of 2023.
I’m so excited for the concert tomorrow night!Output: I’m extremely thrilled for the concert tomorrow evening!
If you are ordering a footlong sub, make sure to double-check all nutrient analyses, as they are based on a six-inch sub length. Additionally,
Now let’s examine each option to ascertain which one emerges as the healthiest type of bread available at Subway.
Artisan Flatbread
The Artisan flatbread at Subway has higher calories compared to other available breads. It also has slightly more grams of fat.
All mediocre are the fiber, sugar, and protein content, and in the middle range of the other options lands the sodium content.
There isn’t much to say about the flatbread, it’s not a great or bad option.
Artisan Italian Bread
So, it’s not surprising that Subway’s Italian Artisan bread, a typical amount of sugar and protein, has lower sodium and calorie content, which is not bad at all.
In fact, the Artisan Italian Bread is the bread with the fewest calories that you can find at Subway.
It is not the most nutritious bread option offered at Subway; nonetheless, this is not because it is of low quality, but rather because it lacks nutritional benefits.
“Hollow calories,” as Registered Dietitians label it, is precisely what this is. Simply calories, but it essentially lacks any substantial nutritional worth, a nourishment.
Therefore, although the Artisan Italian bread is an acceptable option, it is not the most nutritious.
Italian Herbs & Cheese Bread
It certainly has its advantages and disadvantages, while the Italian Herbs & Cheese Bread arguably takes the prize for the most delicious bread at Subway.
It has higher sodium and calorie content compared to other available breads, even providing less fiber per gram.
However, the Cheese & Herbs Italian bread contains slightly more types of bread other than protein, with the cheese sprinkled on top.
However, due to this cheese, the overall cholesterol level is also elevated.
All in all, this is a bread to choose occasionally. Don’t make it your absolute go-to every time you visit this establishment.
Jalapeno Cheddar Bread
The Jalapeno Cheddar bread has a comparable nutritional composition to that of the Italian Herbs & Cheese bread.
In calories, it’s much lower compared to the Italian Herbs & Cheese. With a miniscule amount of fiber, it’s higher in sodium.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Jalapeno Cheddar has one of the lowest protein levels per serving.
This would be another average bread to select, like the Artisan Italian loaf.
Gluten-Free Bread
The eateries receive the packaged bread, which is made at a gluten-free establishment. Nevertheless, Subway does not produce it on-site. A Gluten-Free Bread is available at participating establishments.
This Gluten-Free Bread has the highest calorie content compared to any other bread options available at Subway.
This is a frequent discovery, however, since the essential components utilized to create products without gluten usually supply extra calories.
However, it does possess one advantage – it contains 3 grams of protein similar to the Hearty Multigrain Bread. Nonetheless, this bread is also characterized by an exceedingly high sodium content of 790 milligrams.
Just keep in mind that a diet without gluten is not necessarily superior, particularly when it pertains to shedding pounds.
Hearty Multigrain Bread
The Multigrain Hearty Bread from Subway is the healthiest bread option, as it provides excellent weight loss benefits. It serves as a good source of protein and offers 3 grams of fiber, all while being low in sodium and calories.
Incorporating the Multigrain Bread into your lunch is a great and tasty way, but it’s not the easiest thing to do in the typical American diet when it comes to Fiber.
Remember that fiber helps maintain good GI function, regulates blood sugar, lowers cholesterol, and helps you feel fuller for longer, thus preventing overeating and aiding in weight loss.
As a Registered Dietitian, the Hearty Multigrain Bread is my selection for the healthiest bread at Subway as of 2023.
Conclusion for Healthiest Bread at Subway
When choosing at Subway, consider opting for the healthiest bread option, which is high in protein and fiber but low in sugar, sodium, cholesterol, total fat, and calories. Also, take into account the serving size when deciding to wrap it up.